GS- 3rd Paper
Topic– Major crops-cropping patterns in various parts of the country.
Organic Farming
Context
Adoption of Integrated Organic Farming System by States
What is organic farming?
- Organic farming system in India is not new and is being followed from ancient time.
- It is a method of farming system cultivating the land and raising crops.
- It focused on to keep the soil alive and in good health.
- It uses organic wastes (crop, animal and farm wastes, aquatic wastes) and other biological materials along with beneficial microbes (biofertilizers) to release nutrients to crops for increased sustainable production in an eco-friendly pollution free environment.
- As per the definition of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) study team on organic farming –
“organic farming is a system which avoids or largely excludes the use of synthetic inputs (such as fertilizers, pesticides, hormones, feed additives etc) and to the maximum extent feasible rely upon crop rotations, crop residues, animal manures, off-farm organic waste, mineral grade rock additives and biological system of nutrient mobilization and plant protection”.
- “Organic agriculture is a unique production management system which promotes and enhances agro-ecosystem health, including biodiversity, biological cycles and soil biological activity, and this is accomplished by using on-farm agronomic, biological and mechanical methods in exclusion of all synthetic off-farm inputs”.
Need of organic farming
- With the increase in population our compulsion would be not only to stabilize agricultural production but to increase it further in sustainable manner.
- ‘Green Revolution’ with high input use has reached a plateau and is now sustained with diminishing return of falling dividends.
- Thus, a natural balance needs to be maintained at all cost for existence of life and property.
The key characteristics of organic farming
- Protecting the long term fertility of soils by maintaining organic matter levels, encouraging soil biological activity, and careful mechanical intervention.
- Providing crop nutrients indirectly using relatively insoluble nutrient sources which are made available to the plant by the action of soil micro-organisms.
- Nitrogen self-sufficiency through the use of legumes and biological nitrogen fixation, as well as effective recycling of organic materials including crop residues and livestock manures.
- Weed, disease and pest control relying primarily on crop rotations, natural predators, diversity, organic manuring, resistant varieties and limited (preferably minimal) thermal, biological and chemical intervention.
Challenges
- During first few years the production in organic farming may declines, so the farmer should be given premium prices for organic produce.
- Organic manure is not abundantly available and it may be more expensive if organic inputs are purchased.
- The extensive management of livestock is cost-demanding. Agriculture-holdings in India are on average quite low.
- The guidelines for organic production, processing, transportation and certification etc are hard to comprehend for ordinary Indian farmer.
- Marketing of organic produce is also not properly streamlined.
Organic Farming in India
- According to World Organic Agri Report 2018, India is the home, to 30 per cent of the total organic producers in the world.
- But, it accounts for just 2.59 per cent (1.5 million hectares) of the total organic cultivation area of 57.8 million hectares.
Initiatives to promote Organic farming
- National Project on Organic Farming (NPOF) – assistance to input production (large compost plants and bio-fertilizers), Quality control of organic inputs, Human resource development through trainings, PGS facilitation, Biological soil health assessment and awareness creation.
- National Horticulture Mission (NHM)
- Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana (RKVY)– offers financial assistance to States for adoption and certification of vermin-compost production.
- Paramparagat Krishi Vikas Yojana- the Government is implementing Soil Health Management under National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA).
- Soil Health Management (SHM)- is one of the components under National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture (NMSA).
States Adopting Organic Farming
- Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Nagaland, Mizoram, Sikkim have been promoting organic farming.
- 9 states have drafted organic farming policies.
- Sikkim has achieved its target i.e., 100% organic state in 2015.
- Uttarakhand has declared its several districts organic, which means the farmers must undertake only organic farming.
Organic Sikkim
- Sikkim has become India’s first 100% organic state.
- It has won the ‘Oscar for best policies’, conferred by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) for the world’s best policies promoting agro-ecological and sustainable food systems.
GS-2 Paper
Topic- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
UDAN-RCS Scheme
Context
Kalaburagi Airport Inaugurated Under UDAN – RCS
About
- Kalaburagi Airport is a public airport located 15 km east of Kalaburagi in Karnataka, India.
- The airport was built by the Karnataka State Public Works Department (PWD) with technical assistance from RITES Limited and is operated by the Airports Authority of India.
- Kalaburagi airport is operational after the inauguration by the Chief Minister of Karnataka.
- The airport has been built under the UDAN-RCS Scheme of Govt. of India
UDAN-Regional Connectivity Scheme (RCS)
- National Civil Aviation Policy 2016 (NCAP 2016) prescribed for “enhance regional connectivity through fiscal support and infrastructure development”.
- The UDAN Scheme is a key component of the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP).
- UDAN-RAS was launched in April 2017.
- It is a flagship scheme of the Union Government to enable air operations on unserved routes, connecting regional areas, to promote balanced regional growth and to make flying affordable for masses.
- Under the Scheme flights were priced at Rs.2,500 for one hour of flying time to and from regional airport.
Objectives of the scheme
- The primary objective of RCS is to facilitate regional air connectivity by making it cheap and affordable.
- Promoting affordability of regional air connectivity is envisioned under RCS by supporting airline operators through: Concessions and Financial (viability gap funding or VGF) support.
Key Highlights
- The scheme seeks to connect unconnected towns with the help of Viability gap funding (VGF).
- The scheme proposes to offer concessions to the airlines to encourage them to fly on regional routes.
- Airports Authority of India (AAI) is the implementing agency of the scheme.
- The bids for the routes will be on “reverse auction” basis. Accordingly the airlines quoting the lowest amount of subsidy would be given the right to fly on a particular RCS route.
- The subsidy will be provided under the UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam naagrik) scheme for three-years so that the route would become viable.
- It will be provided to airlines to fund their losses to enable them to offer airfares at Rs. 2,500 for an hour’s flight on half the seats under the Regional Connectivity Scheme.
Significance
- The scheme gives India’s aviation sector a boost by giving a chance to small and first-time operators to be a part of the rapid growth in passenger traffic.
- It provides un-served and underserved airports will have better connectivity. It will boost tourism, employment opportunities and balanced regional growth.
GS-2 Paper
Topic- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)
Context
For establishment of the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), draft rules on CCPA under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019 have been prepared.
Consumer Protection Act, 2019
- Consumer Protection Act, 2019 provides for the establishment of authorities for the timely and effective administration and settlement of consumer disputes.
- The act provides for to set up a Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) to promote, protect and enforce the rights of consumers.
- The CCPA will be empowered to investigate, recall, refund and impose penalties.
- It will regulate matters related to violation of consumer rights, unfair trade practices, and misleading advertisements.
Salient Features of the Act
- Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA)- Executive Agency to provide relief to a class of consumers.
The CCPA will be empowered to-
- Conduct investigations into violations of consumer rights and institute Complaints /Prosecution
- Order recall of unsafe goods and services
- Order discontinuance of Unfair Trade Practices and Misleading Advertisements
- Impose penalties on Manufactures /Endorsers /Publishers of Misleading Advertisements
- Simplified Dispute Resolution process
- Pecuniary Jurisdiction enhanced to-
District Commission –Up to Rs1 crore
State Commission- Between Rs1 crore and Rs 10 crore
National Commission –Above Rs.10 crore
- Deemed admissibility after 21days of filing
- Empowerment of Consumer Commission to enforce their orders
- Appeals only on question of law after second stage
- Ease of approaching consumer commission
- Filing from place of residence
- Mediation
- An Alternate Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanism
- Reference to Mediation by Consumer Forum wherever scope for early settlement exists and parties agree for it.
- Mediation cells to be attached to Consumer Forum
- No appeal against settlement through mediation
- Product Liability
A manufacturer or product service provider or product seller to be responsible to compensate for injury or damage caused by defective product or deficiency in services.
The Basis for product liability action will be-
- Manufacturing defect
- Design defect
- Deviation from manufacturing specifications
- Not conforming to express warranty
- Failing to contain adequate instruction for correct use
- Services provided arefaulty, imperfect or deficient
New Bill- Benefit to Consumers
- Presently Consumer only have a single point of access to justice, which is time consuming.
- Additional swift executive remedies are proposed in the bill through Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA).
- Deterrent punishment to check misleading advertisements and adulteration of products
- Product liability provision to deter manufacturers and service providers from delivering defective products or deficient services
- Ease of approaching Consumer Commission and Simplification of Adjudication process
- Scope for early disposal of cases through mediation
- Provision for rules for new age consumer issues: e-commerce & direct selling
